Volume 2. Issue 20

Welcome to the Full-Time RVer Newsletter, published every other Wednesday by RVtravel.com. Here you’ll find helpful RV-related and full-time RV living tips from the pros, travel advice, and anything else of interest to full-timers or those who aspire to be. Thanks for joining us. We appreciate you. Please tell your friends about us.

Please consider signing up for other newsletters from RVtravel.com. Easy unsubscribe if you don't like what you see.

Quote of the day

"You don't have to live like everyone else. In fact, you'll probably be happier if you don't." —Joshua Becker

Full-time living: What do you do with 30+ years of accumulated "stuff"?

By Lisa Adcox We purchased our first RV in 2016. It was new and we just loved camping. Many years before we had talked about living full-time in our RV, but life got in the way. We were camping one weekend and met the camp host at Paris Landing State Park in TN. He began telling us about what he does as a camp host. He told us how it made full-time living in his RV more affordable, plus he got to see areas he would have never had the opportunity to see. That was the push we needed, and we decided it was time to full-time RV. We set a deadline and stuck to it. We said, let's go camping at least once a month for three or four days and that will help us know what we really need and don't need. Plus, doing that will let us know how to use everything. Continue reading.

Did you miss last weekend's RV Travel Newsletters?

If so, here is some of what you missed...

• Ghost Town shootout puts RV campgrounds in the crosshairs

• RV dealers cheated customers, hit with fine, orders from NY state

• Prospecting: A fun and profitable hobby for RVers

• Will a new player in the campground franchising business change RVing?

Features

Some of these articles are from past issues of RVtravel.com and have been updated for this newsletter.

Baby and kids’ sleeping “bags” brilliant solution for camping

By Tony Barthel If you ever doubt Americans’ ingenuity, just follow my gadget column here on RV Travel. I’ve talked to a number of inventors right here in America who have created some slick stuff that makes camping and RVing more enjoyable. Morrison Outdoors is just such a company with their baby and kids’ sleeping bags. The company was started by founder Tavis Malcolm, who really enjoyed camping and hiking a lot and thought his new baby, Morrison, should be able to go along. But after looking for a sleeping bag for the tyke, he decided to make one himself. Read more and see his brilliant solution.

Is “sealant” a good fix for a flat tire?

NHTSA (DOT) – Improper Repairs: “A plug by itself is not an acceptable repair” to fix a flat tire. “The proper repair of a punctured tire requires a plug for the hole and a patch for the area inside the tire that surrounds the puncture hole.” “Punctures through the tread can be repaired if they are not too large. But punctures to the sidewall should not be repaired.” “Tires must be removed from the rim to be properly inspected before being plugged and patched.” NOTE: Michelin, Goodyear and Bridgestone say the same thing. Learn more.

RVer suspects sewer tank leak, but where is it?

A reader writes: “I suspect we have a leak in our black water system between the toilet and tank, which sits directly below the toilet. I can see the pipe that goes straight down to the tank… I cannot tell how this pipe is attached to the toilet, but that is where I suspect the leak may be.” So where might it be?

Groove gap cleaning tool keeps bugs, dirt and grime out of windows and doors Our best-selling product of 2021! This small, handheld groove gap cleaner cleans windows, sliding doors, shower door tracks, oven and sink gaps and more. This two-part gadget has a scraper, for scraping up debris and dirt, and a brush, for brushing it away! The elevated handle has finger grips for an easy hold. If it gets dirty, wash it with soap and water and it’s just like new. Learn more or order

Quick tip

Why poor water pressure?

What kind of hose are you using? Hose diameter makes a difference. RV fresh water hoses come in 1/2 inch or 5/8 inch ID, or inner diameter. The larger the inner diameter the more water can flow through the hose with minimal reduction in pressure loss. Excessive length, kinks and some hose fittings can further reduce the water flow and pressure.

Don’t miss today’s RV Daily Tips Newsletter! Trust us, it’s a good one!

We got into an accident. Here’s what we learned that may help you

By Gail Marsh Two days. Just two days until we’d be heading back north after several months in sunny, warm Florida. Two days. I was already packing up some things that we’d take out of our fifth wheel when we got home. My husband was making a final run: diesel fuel for the truck and travel snacks for me. Then it happened. Hubby hit a parking lot post. Hard. … And just like that, our two days turned into potentially two weeks or more. Read more for tips in case this ever happens to you (hopefully not!).

Teardrop trailers: The only RVs to have seen combat!

“True” Teardrops evolved after World War II using surplus aircraft aluminum from the wings of World War II bombers. Wheels, at least some, were from Jeeps salvaged from sunken ships, some with bullet holes. These first Teardrops are perhaps the only RVs ever made that experienced actual combat. Read more.

Video: How to avoid burning food in your RV oven

Many RVers complain that their factory-installed ovens do not cook evenly. RV technician and well-known journalist Chris Dougherty has a quick tip about a simple way to help avoid hot spots in an RV’s oven that can cause what’s being cooked or baked to heat unevenly or even burn. Watch the 2-minute video here.

Your assignment

What advice would give an aspiring full-time RVer?

From the editors: We asked our readers this question. Here is one response: "If you have no RVing experience rent one, or purchase a relatively inexpensive one and try it out. Start slow, weekends at first, learn about the workings of the RV. Then move up to some longer trips, maybe with multiple stops along the way. This will let you know if you can live in such a small space, especially if you will be with a spouse, partner, or significant other. And keep in mind, living in an RV is different than 'camping' in an RV." —Abe Loughin

Healthy cooking for two: The perfect cookbook for 2022 This healthy-eating cookbook has 175 simple and delicious recipes to prepare for two. It’s the perfect way to get healthy for the new year without sacrificing any flavor. It also guides you on how to shop for and plan out meals, and even offers tips on how to budget at the grocery store. Teriyaki salmon, anyone? Or how about jerk pork with mango salsa? Yuuuumy! Learn more or order.

Featured recipe

Easy Baked Salmon in Foil by Marlene B. from Camano Island, WA If you're looking to incorporate fish and healthier recipes into your weekly menu, definitely give this baked salmon recipe a try. It's a super easy and tasty way to prepare salmon. Light and fresh with garlic and lemon, the marinade has a Mediterranean flair. A perfect complement to the mild fish. Besides being delicious, cleanup is a breeze since you're baking this in foil. One less dish to dirty. No cleanup and a delicious meal? Count us in! Get the recipe.

Everything in this newsletter is true to the best of our knowledge. But we occasionally get something wrong. We’re just human! So don’t go spending $10,000 on something we said was good simply because we said so, or fixing something according to what we suggested (check with your own technician first). Maybe we made a mistake. Tips and/or comments in this newsletter are those of the authors and may not reflect the views of RVtravel.com or this newsletter. Mail us at 9792 Edmonds Way, #265, Edmonds, WA 98020. This newsletter is copyright 2022 by RVtravel.com

People who travel via recreation vehicle claim to feel healthier, both physically and mentally, than they would be if they led more sedentary lives, according to the first-ever anthropological study of RV owners.

Dorothy and David Counts "The RVers we interviewed during our study feel they are healthier than they would be if they didn't RV. While not overly strenuous, RVing is a physically active process with all of its accompanying chores and activities. RVs also allow people to go places and do things that are physical challenging, like hiking through a national forest," says Dorothy Counts. "The constant exposure to new people, places and events and the act of driving from place to place all help to keep RVers mentally alert," adds David Counts.

In addition, says Dorothy, "When RVing, you have your home with you and that means less stress." The Counts found that RVers cite this reduction of stress as a contributor to their feelings of health and vitality. They also believe that when the stress of traveling is eliminated, people often realize that the trip itself is an adventure.

The Counts say that RVing provides a great sense of freedom. "You are in complete control of your life when you RV," says Dorothy. "RVs give people the autonomy and flexibility to do what they want, when they want, where they want."

"We found it ironic that RV ownership is not only the means to an extremely independent and self-sufficient way of life, it's also the common thread in a vast community and, in fact, the reason for that community," says David. In studying the formation of this community, the Counts discovered a characteristic unique to RVers. "The RVers we interviewed are trying to rebuild American values of days past. They rely on the openness and trust that they say has disappeared from established urban and suburban areas," says David.

"Through our fieldwork, we have determined there are three keys to living a successful retirement: have control of your life, have interesting and challenging things to do and have friends outside the family," states David. "We've found that RVing is an excellent way to accomplish this."

To conduct their studies, the Counts set out across American and Canada in a 28-foot trailer, living and socializing with the people they were studying mostly full-time RVers. They joined the Escapees, a large national organization of mostly full-timers, and found that most RVers were happy to answer their questions. "They usually responded that it was 'about time' that someone outside the RV community took an interest in their lives," Dorothy wrote in the Counts' book, "Over the Next Hill, an ethnography of RVing seniors in North America."

After years of study, the Counts concluded that RVers tend to experience a greater sense of community and fewer of the emotional problems common to old age than those who have chosen other forms of retirement living.

Editor's note: Here's a link where you can purchase the Counts' book from Amazon.

Keep robbers out of
your storage compartments
Did you know that many if not most keys to RV storage compartments are exactly the same — what opens your coach will open the storage compartment doors of others? So how do you keep burglars and other bad guys out of your compartments? Easy with a Combi-lock. Learn more or order at Amazon.com for a great price.

Fulltime RVer newsletter, December 2021